(Left): The Grand Halle de La Villette, the venue of the Canon Expo Paris 2015. (Centre): Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai at the expo. (Right) Pictures made by Canon super creative printing. PICTURES: Bonnie James

By Bonnie James/Deputy News Editor

Imagine this: You are returning from a trip. The moment you enter your home, pictures are automatically downloaded from your Canon camera by a technology named Intelligent Imaging for Life, uploaded to the cloud and displayed on a chosen wall. The pictures are tagged by the system based on the individuals in them, where and when they were taken and also the objects featured.

Intelligent Imaging for Life creates personalised displays, such as images from the beach during summer, previous party pictures on someone’s birthday or your favourite group photos of people coming for dinner.

The pictures can be quickly organised and uploaded to the cloud also with the Next Generation Connect Station by just placing the imaging device on it. The station wirelessly charges your devices and processes photos and videos in 4K. Images can be organised in a chronological order, event-wise or through your own search and filtering options to self-generate photo albums. Being on the cloud, the pictures can be viewed across a variety of devices, such as your smartphone, tablet or TV.

You can easily add your own tags to the pictures using an interactive table, as well as associating photos to items from around the home. Simply place a 3D object, such as a toy, on the table and link the chosen images to it. In future, whenever that object is placed near the system, those pictures will appear.

Designed to take your photos out of storage and display them in the home, the system allows you to organise, review and create collections that can easily be shared as well via the cloud. You can also use the technology to create framed prints, using the table to resize, crop and print photos to the exact size.

You can order ultra-realistic High Definition Large Format Prints that recreate even the most subtle changes in light and shadow while maintaining high resolution for extraordinarily detailed images that appear almost 3D. When set up with the correct lighting and perspective, these prints deliver an amazingly realistic viewing experience.

All these technologies and systems mentioned above are not science fiction. They are just a few of the exciting highlights showcased at the Canon Expo Paris 2015 last week. Gulf Times was the only media organisation from Qatar to be invited to the once-in-five-years invitation only event that displayed hi-tech products and services currently available (today), technologies which Canon expects to bring to the market in future (tomorrow), and conceptual technologies (future).

While Intelligent Imaging for Life and High Definition Large Format Prints come under the future category, the hdbook EZ app and Next Generation Connect Station fall in the tomorrow segment. Considering that 4K displays and video had not hit the market at the time of Canon Expo 2010, it is only reasonable to expect that almost all the technologies and concepts presented at Canon Expo 2015 should all be available very well before Canon Expo 2020.

At the global event staged at the historic iron and glass structure Grand Halle de La Villette, set in extensive parklands to the north east of central Paris, Canon showed how the world of imaging is expanding rapidly in the age of the Internet of Things.

The premise is that in the future nearly everything will be connected through smart devices, which rely on built-in cameras or sensors and the data they generate. As a result, as Canon chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai predicted in his keynote address, the Internet of Things will largely depend on the ‘Imaging of Things’.

“To deliver new possibilities in the world of imaging, Canon is building a ‘Network of Canon Companies’, an eco-system designed to harness innovation and creative talents from across the regions.”

The 80-year-old Fujio, whose uncle Takeshi Mitarai is one of the founders of Canon, and credited with making the company hugely successful, explained his vision for a future Canon, where both regional independence and international collaboration is put into practice.

In the new network of companies, each regional headquarters will manage local R&D and manufacturing, as well as service and support customised to its market. Canon Europe will focus on printing and network video surveillance (NVS) and Canon has already brought on board strong leaders in these business areas such as Oce, Axis and Milestone Systems.

As a result, as proudly declared by Fujio, in addition to its global reputation for cameras, Canon is now the largest printing and network surveillance system company in the world.

Canon Europe, Middle East and Africa president and CEO Rokus van Iperen believes that in the future every image should have a connection with Canon. “Whether it is taking the image, recording, storing, editing or printing it we want to play a part and are building businesses to do this.”

In addition to the focus on NVS, Canon’s thrust areas for future business growth in EMEA include 3D printing (partnering with 3D Systems), Graphic Arts (Oce Colorwave 910, the fastest digital wide format colour printer on the market, demonstrated high speed colour poster printing at the expo), B2B solutions and services (for specific customer verticals such as financial services, insurance, manufacturing or health) and digital consumer services (photo cloud service irista, family focused application Lifecake, and hdbook EZ a new smartphone app that intelligently selects the best images from picture and movie libraries and automatically creates a personalised photobook).

Some of the technology highlights at Canon Expo Paris 2015:

8K Theatre (future):
The ultra-real 8K display is created by aligning four 4K projectors with incredible precision, delivering an incredible, vivid audio-visual experience – the ultimate way to display footage taken on Canon’s revolutionary 8K cameras.

360° Handheld Display (tomorrow):

This personal display system offers ultra-high definition 3D videos and photos with a wide 120° viewing angle, complete with multi-directional sound. The resolution of 2560 x 2880 provides vivid and life-like picture quality. Built-in head-tracking technology allows experiencing the photos and videos in any direction, and sound is also aligned to the viewing direction for a truly immersive experience. The technology is generally called a Head Mounted Display. At the expo, the demonstration was in the form of a handheld system.

8K Camera (tomorrow):
On show was Canon’s first 8K camera in the Cinema EOS System, capable of capturing true 8K (a resolution of 8192x4320) videos at up to 60 frames per second. The low aberration 8K lens gives unrivalled clarity and sharpness to the image, while a high dynamic range and wide colour gamut gives intense vibrancy and detail. Compact and lightweight, the 8K camera system can be battery powered with excellent mobility and operability.

8K HDR Display (tomorrow):

 The 8K HDR display has a pixel density of over 300PPI. Improved processing technology delivers images at a resolution of 8K with extremely high brightness and contrast. Revealing viewing experience with greater detail and scene-tones, it will have applications in the printing field and many other areas.

Next Generation 4K Projector (tomorrow):

Compact and lightweight, this Next Generation 4K Projector delivers crystal-clear images with a resolution of 4096 x 2400 and by using multiple projectors together, it can also display images and videos in incredibly detailed 8K.

Thanks to LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) panels, every picture has exceptional colour, smoother graduation and crisp detail for clearer viewing. Capable of projecting onto curved as well as flat surfaces, the Next Generation 4K Projector has a brightness of 5000 lumen facilitating use in a variety of open and light spaces.

4K HDR Display (tomorrow):

The stunning 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) Display delivers a dramatically new viewing experience with greater detail and scene-tones. Using Canon’s expanded high dynamic technology, the 4K HDR Display makes it ideal for workflows within the image industry.

Next Generation PRO Printer (tomorrow):

These printers can print in higher quality and at higher speeds. With the addition of Canon’s Red Line design, the PRO printer line-up now boasts future print head technology and pigment ink system. This helps achieve accurate reproductions of high dynamic range and high resolution, which can more faithfully express the original data captured by EOS cameras.  

High Resolution Printing Solution (tomorrow):

This new solution ensures that print outs match the high quality of images captured on an EOS camera. The combination of EOS cameras and PRO printers express vibrant colours and sharp details resulting in printed images achieved through the EF Lens’ Digital Lens Optimiser and the printer’s future image processing. 

120 Megapixel EOS Camera (tomorrow):

The CMOS sensor within this camera allows capturing 120 megapixel still images with its increased resolution revealing simply stunning levels of detail. Using EOS Utility, RAW data is sent to a computer to be processed by Digital Photo Professional software, resulting in an extremely high resolution image. The image can be enlarged to reveal extraordinary detail, such as the intricacies and texture of small items, or to view objects in the background that would otherwise be imperceptible to the naked eye. It also enables great opportunities to crop an image or to create large prints.

4 million ISO Camera (tomorrow):

Capable of recording full HD colour video footage in extreme low light environments, Canon’s new ultra-high sensitivity camera supports filming in situations where it was not achievable before.

Mixed Reality (MREAL) (tomorrow):

MREAL combines a real-world environment with the virtual world of computer-generated imagery for a more innovative way of working. By wearing a headset, you will be able to design and create prototypes at actual size and assess them in 360°. MREAL will allow you to share and review these before the actual manufacturing starts, for more efficient, effective and quicker problem solving during the Product Lifecycle. Giving you the ability to look inside an object and interactively check its inner workings, the system is ideal for manufacturing and training.   

Canon 3D Printer (future):

Canon’s first 3D printer developed entirely in-house, which was shown on a video in the Image Innovation & Industry zone, has been designed to make the production process quicker than ever before. A resin-based system gives any modelled objects superior strength. The same machine can be used to create prototypes and produce small runs of the final product.

3D Integrated Software (future):

The 3D Integrated Software from Canon speeds up the manufacturing processes from design to production by knowledge sharing and automatic error correction. For example, five engineers in five different offices around the world can all contribute at once in real time, streamlining complicated manufacturing processes.

Super Machine Vision (tomorrow):

The technology will enhance productivity in the manufacturing industries by reducing the lead time of operations which do not require extra skills. Machine Vision for Robot models can be installed for picking up randomly stacked parts. It will further evolve into upcoming Machine Vision for Robots models and will assist robot systems by providing high precision assembly work. Machine Vision for Inspection models will also replace sensory assessments with fully automated inspection for mass production.

Thirty Meter Telescope Technology (tomorrow):

The telescope will have 13x the light-gathering power and 4x the resolution of the current Subaru Telescope, of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, located at the Mauna Kea Observatory on Hawaii. Canon is producing the multi-segment mirrors that will capture and focus the images from space.

World’s first Ultra-High Definition 250 megapixel CMOS Sensor (tomorrow):

Filming at five frames per second, cameras equipped with this ultra-high resolution sensor capture unparalleled detail in every shot. Thanks to high-speed processing technology, you can digitally zoom in on videos and pictures without compromising on the crystal-clear definition – allowing you to distinguish letters on a building from as far as 15km away.

The extraordinarily high resolution of this sensor makes it ideal for security and surveillance, with potential to be used in astronomy, aviation and so much more. For use in digital cameras, the 250 megapixel CMOS sensor is sensitive enough to read lettering on the side of an aircraft 18km away, far beyond what the human eye can see.

Canon Super Creative Printing (tomorrow):

High sensitivity cameras are used to scan and record the exact details of 3D objects, which are then reproduced on Océ developed 2.5D elevation print technology. Creating elevated and tactile prints, this allows recreating individual brushstrokes of famous paintings, the feel of fabrics, or even the contours of the skin, which would not have been possible with regular RGB printing.

Network Camera, Ultra telephoto (tomorrow):

With ultra-high sensitivity due to Canon lens and image processing, this camera allows detailed colour images to be recorded at night with fine detail and is ideal for security services and night-time surveillance.

Future camera technology (future):

Combining visible and short-wave infra-red light reveals details normally unseen by the naked eye enabling identification no matter if fake hair, prosthetics, or sunglasses are used. It also allows the accurate recognition of licence plates obscured by halation.

Human Search (tomorrow):

Using a scanned photo, an operator will be able to use human recognition technology to find and track an individual - ideal for secure environments such as airports.

Photoacoustic Mammography (future):

Combining laser light and ultrasonic waves, this technology will enable medical specialists to take 3D high resolution images of blood vessels without causing the patient pain or exposing them to radiation. This advanced imaging technique will allow specialists to recognise the characteristic conditions of cancer in blood vessels, and could lead to earlier cancer diagnosis.

Medical Information Cockpit (tomorrow):

Using Canon’s sophisticated image-processing technology and Integrated Clinical Managing System, the Medical Information Cockpit will help with diagnosis and care. The system automatically stores high resolution images taken, sorting them by patient ID, making them easily accessible and reviewable. It also has the capability for patients to upload pictures, where appropriate, allowing to track the progress of any physical symptoms remotely.

As well as storing them, the Medical Information Cockpit can automatically analyse the images, highlighting new issues or minute changes based on a patient’s history. The cockpit can also crosscheck its database to find similar cases to help with suggested treatment. With an inbuilt communication system, the Medical Information Cockpit will facilitate on screen video-conferences with specialists, giving both parties access to the patient’s current and previous scans for quicker and more accurate collaboration.

DNA Analysis (future):

Quickly and conveniently carry out complex genetic research testing with Canon’s high-speed, high-precision solution for DNA analysis. With this new solution from Canon BioMedical, Inc., research testing that may have previously taken a day or more can be carried out in less than an hour, dramatically lowering costs and encouraging research for early genetic diagnosis and treatment.